Month: February 2017

Pence visits EU

EU, Europe, International, World

mike-pence-flags

Anna van Densky, OPINION   Taking into consideration the anti-Trump rethoric of president Donald Tusk naming the new US administration an ‘existential threat’ to the  EU one can not expect much from vice-president Mike Pence visit to Brussels.

The myopia of the EU leaders, from the moment of taking sides in the US elections, fiercely defending #Hillary, thus the US Democrats, and later going to ‘crescendo’ about the ‘threat’ President Trump represents for the EU, closed the window of opportunity for the current EU institutions officials to develop fruitful relations with the new US administration, subsequently the leading democracy and economy in the world.
The visit of Mr.Pence will be short, and the absence of press conference, replaced by brief appearances presenting statements clearly indicates there is no much common ground and hope after what the leaders of the EU institutions have done to offend the newly elected President of the United States of America, disrespectful to the democratic choice of American people. One can not co-operate with a ‘existential threat’, can he?..
Hopefully the US administration knows that there many citizens in the EU, who do no approve the anti-Trump position of the EU institutions unelected leaders, considering the President Trump ‘threat’ narrative fictitious, and they will go to ballot boxes soon. In view of the upcoming elections in The Netherlands, France, Germany and Italy, there is very little sense for the new US administration to build on sand with the current EU, rapidly losing grounds with public opinion in Europe, mainly as a result of mass-migration policies imposed on the citizens without their consent.
In case of accession to power French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen promised to organize the EU membership referendum within six month, meaning from next year the political landscape in the EU will go through fundamental change,  very favorable for the relations between the US administration and ensemble of the European nations.
Hopefully in the future Mr.Pence will have an opportunity to meet many European politicians respectful and sympathetic to the new US administration, making his contacts with Europeans as much optimistic and friendly as meeting US compatriots living in Europe 🙂

 

 

 

Lavrov for union against IS

Conflict, International, Politics

lavrov-blue-bd

“Unprecedented terrorist aggression has been seen in Europe, the United States, and the countries that are our allies under the Collective Security Treaty Organisation in Asia – all this presents a serious threat to international security”, said Russian Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov addressing MunichSecurity conference.

 

Russian minister expressed concern over the overall degradation of the situation in the Middle East and North Africa after ‘Arab Spring’, and migrant crisis in Europe, pointing at  the threat of terrorism to expand in Middle East, North Africa.

Lavrov claimed a  “certain success” in the fight against ISIS, al-Nusra Front, and the other terroristic groups, however he underlined that the international community has failed so far to create a “truly efficient anti-terrorist front”, blaming  “inability” to put aside nonentity matters, and curb geopolitical ambitions.

Lavrov called for a “true union” of the leading nations against international terrorism,  and also to prevent the collapse of Iraq, Libya, Yemen and Afghanistan, infiltrated by ISIS, using the lack of unified strategy to their advantage.

NL: Wilders enters election race

Europe, Politics

geert-wilder-2de-kamer

Today  Dutch leader of  Party for Freedom (PVV) Geert Wilders launches his election campaign, based on protection of European values, intention to ban Muslim mass migration, and close all the mosques in the Netherlands as entities incompatible with democracy and human rights, especially gender equality. Married to a Hungarian diplomat, Wilders is a consequent defender of women’s rights, and new age multiculturalism, based on shared values, and respect of democracy, and of rule of law. Wilders, being a half-Indonisian, never opposed an immigration as such, neither immigrants, who were settling in the Netherlands in different epochs, creating unique hubs of Amsterdam and Rotterdam, but specifically against Muslim mass migration leading to deterioration of security, steep rise of violent crime, and other well-known problems.

As the result of mass migration, the degradation of public life in one of the most liberal modern societies,  reflected also on political culture – the  extra security measures will be implied  to protect Wilders, obliged  to live under special protection programme after the 2004 assassination of  Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh, who criticised an ongoing abuse of women in Islam, and was killed in day light by a religious fanatic.

“I want us in government,” Wilders said. “The Netherland for the Netherlanders!” is the motto for his elections campaign running towards the 15th of March – the day citizens will be going to ballot-boxes. Lately polls showed Wilders popularity stabilized on the same level as incumbent Prime Minister iberal Mark Rutte (liberal). Dutch system of creating coalition in the Parliament, will not allow Wilders to become next Prime Minister, even if he wins the popular vote. However in case of victory, his influence on political and public life will grow substantially to impact the other political forces.

Diplomacy of submission

EU, Human rights, Politics, World

 

sweden

Bending heads with veils on their heads Swedish ministers pass by triumphant Rouhani, without shaking hands. It is not a Hollywood fiction – in an attempt to strike lucrative deals the Swedish feminist government sacrificed their convictions, and accepted the religious outfits and submissive conduct. A great victory of The Prophet adepts over the  women’s rights, the gender equality, and overall promotion of the secular modern standards, – everything Europeans are flaunting while projecting their image onto bigger world.

 

There was no battle, just straightforward betrayal of the convictions for ’30 pieces of silver’. However the battle would be misplaced: the practicing open door policy Socialists in Sweden ensured the influx of Muslim population soon overwhelming the kind aboriginals of  the ‘humanitarian superpower’. Over last decade around half a million of asylum-seekers arrived to Sweden, 163 000 last year. This mass migration led not only to standing ovation of the international community, but to an explosions of violent crimes and even gang wars in Swedish cities, no-go zones, and one-third of women concerned by sexual assaults. Many say they prefer to give up going out in the evenings to avoid the risks.
The steep rise of criminality, especially harming women’s freedoms and safety, brought with mass migration does not shake Sweden’s leftist establishment and devoted media unjustified belief in multiculturalism as the model of a perfect society. The left continues to insist on large-scale immigration from the poorest, most backward places on earth, where women are lapidated  or vitriolaged, where submission is a survival, and an integral veil is a must. Alas in Sweden as elsewhere between two standards it is the lowest that takes over,  reflecting in degrading situation with the women’s rights in growing no-go zones in once calm Swedish cities.  Those aborigines who disagree with the Socialist’s policy risk being labeled racist, fascist, and even Nazi!
The current migration trends lead to stable degradation of once a wealthiest and safest countries in the EU to the Thrid World place ranks. The UN report Human Development Index (HDI) predicts a significant decrease in Swedish prosperity, unlike their Nordic neighbors, who had no ambition to become ‘humanitarian superpowers’.
In 2010 Sweden had the 15th place in the HDI rankings but according to UN forecasts, it will be at #45 by 2030: while intensely importing population of the Thrid World the country will become part of it due to efforts of the left. By 2030 40% of Swedes will be Muslims.
Subsequently,  it is not a masquerade of Swedish female ministers, compromising their convictions for trade benefits with Islamic Republic of Iran, but a model of nearest future for this compassionate European country and its womanhood,  victims to the wining  Muslim trend.

Swiss facilitate naturalisation

Europe, International, World

afriacn-children

The facilitation of the naturalisation of the third generation of migrants by 60.4% ov Swiss votes is far from being a revolution, and even less an open door policy .This reform aims at simplifying the administrative procedures for the descendants of immigrants wishing to obtain a Swiss passport. The doubt about obtaining a majority of the cantons disappeared as the results fell. Several cantons which had previously refused a similar project – Grisons, Zurich, Valais, Lucerne, Nidwalden – approved the initiative. In French-speaking Switzerland, the proposal was endorsed by all cantons.

The beneficiaries of the reform – 25,000 young foreigners of the third generation who could benefit from facilitated naturalization, the vast majority were born in a family whose grandparents immigrated to Switzerland to work. Nearly 80% of them come from an EU or EFTA countries: 58% are Italian, 7.7% Spanish and 4.8% Portuguese. To this group will be added an annual average of 2300 children who will be eligible for naturalization.

However, nothing is guaranteed, each canton has to decide upon granting  of the citizenship in an individual procedure. The request can be rejected without revelations of the reasons behind the decision.

Swiss vote to stay in ‘haven’

Europe, International

Wallis: Schlitteln im Kanton Wallis

No good news for the EU this Sunday from the Switzerland. Swiss voters overwhelmingly rejected plans to abandon the corporate tax system, leaving startled government in a stalemate confronted with the Europeans critics,  attempting to  convince rich neighbours to stop the regime of record low tax rates for thousands of multinational companies enjoying tax ‘haven’.

Switzerland agreed with the Organisation for Economic co-operation and development (OECD)  in 2014 to change by 2019 the special status, which has been a beacon of attraction for around 24,000 multinationals searching to maximize profits through minimising tax payments.  That provision will now remain in place past the original deadline.

Most Swiss voters recognized the country needs reform to avoid being blacklisted as a low-tax pariah. But new measures proposed to help companies offset the loss of their special status had created deep divisions.

Just over 59% of referendum participants – who have the last word under the Swiss system of direct democracy – opposed the plans, which the country’s political and business elite succumbed under international pressure.

The ‘no’ voters took into consideration the opportunity to employ 150,000 staff and contribute half of federal corporate taxes due to this special tax status.

Barnier: Brexit “reasonable negotiator”

EU, Politics

barnier-negociator

 

“There are lots of people who are jumping up and down saying ‘Oh, we’ve got this dangerous Frenchman (Barnier – av) in here that’s going to undermine London’,” said Syed Kamall, pro-Brexit leader of May’s Conservatives in the European Parliament. “It’s not like that.

“He’s going to be a reasonable negotiator,” he said. “That doesn’t mean we’re going to agree at the end of the day. But I can think of few other people that I would want on the other side of the negotiating table.”

Barnier knows Brexit Secretary David Davis from their time as Europe ministers in the 1990s – part of a vast contact list of people from many walks of life that Barnier has built in four decades since he was elected to parliament aged just 27.

Not all who know Barnier share Kamall’s assurance he can keep talks civil. One City executive said Barnier won “grudging respect” from British negotiators for coming to understand their issues and improving his English. But he also came over as aloof and “patrician”, brusque with his staff and juniors, and “vain”.

Barnier  told French newspaper La Depeche he would go into talks “neither naive nor with preconceptions”, and recalled his last major negotiations:

“My strategy was to work with the British and the City … and not to pass laws against them or without them. So although we’re now in a different context, a deal on Brexit is possible.”

 

Treaty of Rome: balance sheet

EU, Europe, International, Politics

 

Signature of the Treaty of RomeNext month the EU leaders will gather in Italian capital , 26/01/2017,  to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome. However, in view of the UK imminent departure, and multiple crises the EU project suffers, one does  not expect any opulent festivities. The situation is aggravated by the banking crisis in Italy, considering the departure from the eurozone, and exhausted by invasion of illegal migrants from Africa.

According to the EU officials a new document expected to be signed by 27 EU leaders, committing them to a new concept for the bloc, without the UK. There is also some concern, or even fear of the UK government to trigger the #Brexit  article 50 the very same day to overshadow the symbolism of the date.

Initially anticipated as a huge celebration, the event will be reduced to a sober political meeting without red carpets and fireworks. No flamboyant declarations or promises will be made, awaiting the results of French elections in May with Marine Le Pen of Front National leading in polls, promising her electorate a referendum on the EU membership of France in six month after the ascendance to power.

EU against child-soldier practise

Africa, Asia, Conflict, EU, Human rights, International, World

al-shabab-child-soldeir

Ahead of the International Day against the use of child soldiers – 12 February -the EU top diplomat Federica Mogherini and the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui, pledge to intensify their efforts to end the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict.

“On the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers we jointly celebrate a growing global consensus among UN Member States that they should not recruit or use children in armed forces in conflict and that boys and girls should be protected from all grave violations.” –  continued Mogherini.

“Child soldiers are always the victims: forced to combat, often brutally abused, and not rarely isolated when they finally manage to get back to their communities. I met Colombian boys and girls who have managed to quit the FARC’s guerrilla and are now looking at their future with hope”.

“We have the duty to keep supporting them and all the former child soldiers, to give them the chance of a good education and of a place in their societies. At the same time, we will continue to bring forward our engagement in ending the recruitment and use of children by armed forces. Depriving a child of its rights is depriving a society of its future,” – said Federica Mogherini.

UK to walk away without a deal?

Africa, Asia, Conflict, EU, Europe, Human rights, International, Lifestyle, NATO, Politics, Uncategorized, World

 

trump-and-may

The UK departure without a deal as a concept appears persistently in different contexts, approaching the date of the triggering Article 50, promised by Prime Minister Theresa May in March, likely before the Treaty of Rome celebrations on the 27th, but after the Dutch general elections on the 15th. The UK officials do not wish to harm the fragile ties with the EU27, and complicate the situation of one millions of compatriots, chosen the continental Europe as their home.

The hostile rhetoric of the EU high officials, especially the Jean-Claude Juncker, the head of the European Commission, and the veteran of the EU project, made many politicians and experts to consider the departure without any settlement as a viable option, shielded by the WTO rules.

The perspective of the free-trade agreement with the US, opened after the visit of the PM May to the White House, makes ‘no deal better than a poor deal’ approach a leading trend.

Picture: US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Theresa May walking through White House gallery.